ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bass — low music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. band — a music group
  7. bass — the fish
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bat — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. craft — boats
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com